All posts by Gian Verano

Gian has been a contributor to MoT since June 2013. Other than a couple of theatre history electives in university, Gian’s main theatre experiences date back to his childhood days when he would accompany his parents to shows at the Elgin Theatre or Princess of Wales Theatre. His fondest memory is seeing Les Mis as a child and being in awe of the larger-than-life costumes and musical numbers. When seeing a show, he loves pieces that come from a sincere place of truth – that tell a heartfelt story. During the day, he’s a Toronto Copywriter and Search Marketing Specialist. You can connect with him on both LinkedIn and Twitter. Twitter: @gian_verano

Usually, I think public washrooms are the worst places on Earth. They’re dirty, full of dreadful people and never close enough for when you need them most. But Stalled, a Fringe comedy playing at the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, is one men’s restroom you simply must check out.

Jock, bear, daddy, twink – the lexicon used by the gay male population to describe each other’s physical attributes is a rich and varied one. But as playwright and performer Lucas Brooks points out in his play, VGL 5’4’’ TOP, these labels often serve to exclude members of the homosexual population rather than attempt to create any sense of community.

“Bitchiness,” notes Brooks in his play which is currently running at The Tarragon Theatre Solo Room, “is an art that gays have cultivated for generations.”

What do you get when you combine time travel, social commentary and an introspective look at one gay man’s coming of age story? Well, you end up with Do These Pants Make Me Look Fat’s contribution for this year’s Toronto Fringe entitled, The Effects of Time Travel on Neurotic Homos.

Based on the premise of what would happen when a person’s past and present selves are brought together, this play, which runs at the George Ignatieff Theatre, chronicled one gay man’s regrets and triumphs during a 20-year span.

So, you’re stuck in the middle of the city, plagued by an army of the undead. There’s absolutely no support from the military or any other form of emergency services, and at any moment you’re likely to run into at least one of these flesh-eaters. What do you do?

That was the premise of Zombie Toronto, which had its closing performance Wednesday night at the Comedy Bar. As one of Bad Dog Theatre’s many improv shows, Zombie Toronto stood out as one of the company’s more memorable productions thanks to its mix of unapologetically silly slapstick humour and no-holds-barred approach to social commentary.